A NEW PROJECT: DEXTER'S INN

Kevin O'Shea Designs is excited to announce a new project that is underway in Provincetown, Massachusetts: Dexter's Inn.

This 15 bedroom Inn will undergo a complete renovation in two phases with Phase One already underway.  The first phase of the project includes the complete renovation of 9 bedrooms and bathrooms, an overhaul of the lobby, office, kitchen and a public toilet.  It will also include reinterpretation of outdoor spaces on the grounds.

Phase Two will be completed in the Fall of 2012 which will encompass the renovation of the remaining 6 guestrooms and further updates to the public spaces.

Kevin O'Shea Designs has developed an comprehensive new design concept for the property which will position it as Provincetown's first design-led boutique property.

We look forward to sharing exciting updates on the project both on Kevin O'Shea Design's Facebook page and on the Dexter's Inn Facebook page.

For more information on this project visit the Portfolio Page.

A Unique Project in Progress

Last Fall I was approached by a client who had a very interesting request: she wanted me to redesign the Financial District one bedroom apartment in New York that she shared with her fiancée.  The catch was that she wanted to register for most of the pieces in the design on her upcoming wedding registry.  I loved the idea and jumped at the opportunity.  After a few initial design meetings I came up with a design concept that fit the life they both hope to lead after their wedding this October.  She envisioned entertaining friends, enjoying quiet weekends together and overall delighting in what she calls "a grown up apartment".

This was a unique project for me because I was essentially working backwards, selecting accessories for a space that didn't exist yet but my client and I had such a great working relationship that it turned out to be a really fun and effortless process.  The other caveat to this project was that every item had to be available for purchase online so we could upload it into her wedding registry.  These unique challenges pushed me to create the aparment of her dreams and I am happy to announce that we successfully uploaded the whole package onto her registry yesterday.

The apartment won't start to take shape physically until the end of the year but I wanted to share a few of my concept sketches and some of the items that made that list!  We used an incredible website called MyRegisty.com which allows Brides and Grooms to build their own unique wedding registry from any website online.

This is the basic furniture layout, we are using some of her existing pieces like the sofa and arm chair and will layer in other larger furniture pieces after the wedding.

This sketch shows furniture placement and concepts for furniture shapes in the living/dining room.  The apartment has four large windows with a recess in the ceiling along both window walls.  Ivory silk draperies will cover both of these walls giving the room a luxurious softness and exisiting cove lighting will softly light the draperies at night. 

The furniture placement in the living room area allows for both entertaining and TV watching without having to move anything around.  The dining area is not defined architecturally so I grounded this space with a large decorative mirror and a large fixture over the table. 

This sketch is looking toward the front hall.  The bar cart is part of the dining area and provides a fun way to serve cocktails to their guests.  Because space is a premium in New York City apartments the sideboard serves double duty as an extra surface for the kitchen or the dining area.  Stools tucked under the sideboard provide extra seating or they can be used as side tables giving them lots of flexibility when they entertain.

A selection of some of the items I included in the wedding registry.  My client has a very bold mid-century red sofa that she wanted to keep so the design was built around that.  The aesthetic nods to mid-century modernism with some whisical and ecclectic touches to keep it fresh and timeless. 

Guests will purchase everything from lighting and occasional furniture to soft goods and accessories.  I even selected glassware and barware for the bar cart which are all available for purchase on the wedding registry.

I am really excited to see how this project turns out and I will keep you all updated later this year after the wedding!

- Kevin

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THE MARTIN HOUSE: THE DETAILS

Happy New Year everyone!  It has been a while since my last update on Cape Cod, the past month has been very busy getting the house into some semblance of order to host Christmas and New Year's (which were both smashing successes!).  I am now working on the details for the next two months, carefully selecting the final elements to finish off each room, the accessories, the window coverings, getting the lighting just right etc. 

As this process continues I will continue to reveal some of the wonderful details that are beginning to emerge around the house.  (You will have to be patient to see the final product, I am pursuing a few publishing leads on the house and thus can't reveal too much until they have captured their content).

These are still a work in a progress but here are a few of my favorites at the moment:

Firewood storage becomes a decorative element in the bar.The "Blue and White" diningroom is starting to come together, the accessories are really what make this room magical.Pieces new and old begin to come together in the livingroom to create a striking juxtaposition of "Modern American Colonial".The kitchen blends function and form seamlessly as seen here at the Baking Station.Open shelving keeps everything at the ready in the kitchen and also serves as a great way to display beautiful dinnerware.Some details from the guest bedrooms.

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THE MARTIN HOUSE: THE FINISHED FLOORS

Last week marked an exciting return to Provincetown after the floors were refinished throughout the The Martin House.  Colonial Floors of Cape Cod worked tirelessly over the course of a week and a half sanding away years of grime and damage to reveal the virgin wood of the 18th century wide pine floor boards.  Then they meticulously applied a light stain and three coats of commercial grade polyurethane with truly spectacular results.  Here are few of the rooms finished:

The Master BedroomGuestroom TwoThe LivingroomTo call this process transformative is an understatement.  The floors have completely changed the dynamic inside the house, they are now flat, visually interesting, and add a warmth the house lacked before.  The most exciting part of the floor refinishing is that I was able to walk around barefoot for the first time since we bought The Martin House four months ago!

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THE MARTIN HOUSE: BEFORE AND NOW

I'm back in New York this week while the floors are being refinished at The Martin House in Provincetown.  I was organzing photos yesterday and started to reflect on how much has been acomplished over the past four months and thought I would share some of those amazing transformations.  The spaces below still have a long way to go before being completely finished but already the progress is remarkable.  Enjoy!

The Master Bedroom: A closet in the rafters (left) was removed (center) and the walls were repaired to reveal an 8th window in the bedroom! (right)

Second Floor Corridor: The once open floor plan of the second floor was divided in interesting ways (left).  We acquired a bit more space for the new guest bathroom by claiming some space from one of the attics (center). Today actual walls define bedrooms and bathrooms but the chimney still makes an appearance here and there (right).

The Kitchen: Certainly one of the more dramatic transformations, the sink wall was littered with shelving and the large commercial dishwasher (left).  Removing all the clutter was no easy task and revealed badly damaged walls and ancient plumbing (center).  Now new walls of beadboard and a custom countertop which will house appliances has given this corner of the kitchen new life (right).

The Front Door: Once the main entrance of the resturant, the front door lacked any character, opened outward for fire egress and was oversized to be ADA compliant (left).  Now we have a more appropriately sized door that swings inward and some custom trim has given the entrance more architectural interest (right).

These Before and Now photos are only a taste of the transformation that continues to unfold daily, I can't wait to share more in the near future!

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